Now I don't believe in conspiracy theories but it could not be simple fate which has propelled someone such as James Blunt up the charts, while Brighton's own Chris TT can't get on the Radio 2 playlist for love nor money.

Could it be bland-boy Blunt is a Daily Mail reader's wife's fantasy, whereas Chris TT is short, stout and not afraid - through the medium of well-crafted, folk-pop tunes - to actually sing something political, without feeling he has to wink to a camera.

The funny thing about overtly political songs, though, is that sometimes you just aren't in the mood for a bitter, heart-rending ode to the forgotten dead of Falluja.

Sometimes, you just want to have fun. That's where Brakes come in - four guys from different bands who play loud, raucous music with smiles as wide as their set is eclectic.

While the Brighton supergroup's output ranges from country fireside ballads to big-beat indie stomps and everything in between.

They aren't afraid of politics either, in their own way.

While Chris TT crafts witty lyrics to express himself, Brakes' eight-second epic Cheney is simpler but no less effective: "Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, Cheney, stop being such a dick."